Methylene chloride is a colorless, volatile liquid which is widely used as a solvent for various processes including applications in the pharmaceutical and food processing industry. The chemical also is used as a constituent of aerosols and as a blowing agent in the production of foam.
In many of the above-mentioned applications, the user is exposed either through skin contact or inhalation to the methylene chloride. Although methylene chloride is not highly toxic, excessive exposure to the liquid or vapors has been shown to result in an increase in the amount of carboxyhemoglobin present in the blood resulting from the metabolism of the molecule in the body. Therefore, prolonged exposure to the compound may result in a health hazard to users of the chemical.